Early machines were a small trolley on which barrels of tar were placed and the tar ran into a speader box via a heated tank. Later machine were attachments fitted to a steam roller that warmed the tar using steam and had a 'spearder' bar with small nozels to spray the tar onto the road surface. Chipping and sine ston being spread on top by hand , and latter by a 'grit spreader' hopper towed behind. the surface was then rolled by a hand roller or Steam roller.